Braves reportedly attempted to trade $75M injury-prone starter for Rangers' Jacob DeGrom

The Atlanta Braves are trying to win the NL East over the Philadelphia Phillies, but things are starting to get really interesting. It is clear that the Phillies have the better rotation, and the Braves are going through arguably their hardest stretch of the year.

The starting rotation has been dealing with injuries for most of the year. Spencer Strider, specifically, has been shut down since June.

“Strider has been shut down from throwing for four weeks following a consultation with Dr. Keith Meister. He'll then have a follow-up MRI. A clean scan would clear him to start a throwing progression. Given where this looked headed on Friday night, the Braves have to be relieved. An MRI taken Saturday in Atlanta came back showing nothing but inflammation and no ligament damage,” USA Today’s Kristie Ackert wrote.

Atlanta tried to make some trades at the deadline but only added one starter in Tyler Mahle. The Braves had a deal in place with the Texas Rangers for Jacob DeGrom, but he used his no-trade clause to block the move.

“deGrom, 38, exercised the no-trade clause in his Rangers’ contract to put the kibosh on trade talks that would’ve sent him to Atlanta last week,” Gabriel Burns reported for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “The talks were extensive enough that the Braves and Rangers had the structure of a deal in place, which is why Texas approached him for approval.”

For some time, it was unknown who Atlanta was going to send in the deal. According to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand, the Braves were going to trade Strider.

“The Braves discussed sending Strider to Texas in a contract swap trade for Jacob deGrom before the Trade Deadline, and although deGrom blocked the deal with his no-trade clause, it’s clear that Atlanta is open to moving its former ace,” Feinsand wrote.

This is something interesting to monitor, as it seems like Atlanta may not be able to trust Strider to stay healthy. It is unfortunate, but at the same time, it is the reality of where Strider is at in his career.

Strider is currently on a $75 million contract. The righty has not been able to stay healthy for a long time, dating back to his UCL surgery in 2024. That, combined with his Tommy John surgery several years ago, is not a good mix. With this now coming to light, the relationship between Strider and the Braves will be something to monitor moving forward.

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